Moving stairway hand rails



Oct. 16, 1956 R. G. TlLTON 2,766,868

MOVING STAIRWAYHAND RAILS Filed Jan. 16, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet l 2 5i 2.515 5'1 2 1 z5i5ZJi5Z 1 @Mm/M,

Oct. 16, 1956 G. TILTON 2,766,868

MOVING STAIRWAY HAND RAILS Filed Jan. 16, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 may FIG. 6;

lPUSSELL 6". 77LTON,

INVENTOR.

7 ATTORNEY.

Oct. 16, 1956 R. G. TlLTON MOVING STAIRWAY HAND RAILS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 16, 1955 Runs/.4 6. 77L 70M INVENTQR.

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United rates Patent MOVING STAIQWAY HAND RAILS Russell G. Tilton, Mountain Lakes, N. 3., assignor to lfilultrscope, Ina, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of ansas Application January 16, 1953, Serial No. 331,570

1 Claim. (Cl. 198-16) This invention pertains to escalators or moving stairways, and more specifically to hand rails used in connection therewith.

In accordance with this invention, it is proposed to form the moving hand rail of sections or elements unsecured together in alternating relation and with a flexible member or separator being interposed therebetween, with the separator member preventing direct contact of the alternating members and also to fill the spaces occurring between adjacent edges of the members.

An object of the invention is the provision of a plurality of companion members adapted to be in alternated relation in the assembly of the hand rail and with the members being capable of permitting the assembled hand rail to flex in either direction.

A second object is to provide a simplified hand rail construction and assembly thereof.

Another object is to provide a hand rail construction permitting the use of a simplified guide member in connection therewith.

Further objects and particular advantages of the invention will suggest themselves in the course of the following description, and that which is new will be pointed out in the appended claim.

The embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of the hand rail assembly.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the hand rail assembly.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through the members, taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail cross section through one of the driver members, taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detail cross section through one of the rider members, taken on line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is an under side view of the assembled members, as taken from line 66 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is an under side view of the assembled members similar to that shown in Figure 6, but with a drive chain being shown in connection therewith.

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the hand rail, and with the same being shown in driving relation with a sprocket member.

Figure 9 is a detail section, taken on line 9-9 of Figure 8, and showing the relation of the hand rail members with the guide member, and also showing the guide supporting means.

Figure 10 is a diagrammatical view of the hand rail assembly.

Figure 11 is a detail side elevation of the guide connecting means which also serves as a hand rail tightening means.

Figure 12 is a partial side elevation of the hand rail members and showing the manner in which the members are installed on the guide.

Figure 13 is also a partial elevation similar to that shown in Figure 12 but showing the manner of comice pleting the circuit of the hand rail members in the a sembly thereof.

Figure 14 is a detail section through the guide connecting means, as taken on line 14--14 of Figure 11.

Figure 15 is a detail cross section through one of the rider members, without the rubber separator member being shown in connection therewith.

Like characters of reference denote like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In order that the construction of the hand rail and the elements thereof may be more fully understood, I will now take up a detailed description thereof.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the hand rail is composed of a plurality of alternated members 1 and 2 having a rubber separator 3 interposed therebetween. Flanges 4 are formed on the edges of driver members 1 and which are adapted to partially underlie the adjacent rider members 2. The rubber separators 3 are formed of a flat central portion with channelled portions 5 formed longitudinally along each of its edges with the channels being adapted to normally fill the spaces between adjacent edges of members 1 and 2, and with the flat portion of the separators lying between the inner surface of riders 2 and the outer faces of flanges 4 of the driver members. Each of the rider members 2 has an inwardly-directed lug or pin 6 formed thereon and which is adapted to extend through an aperture formed through the central portion of the fiat portion of each of the separator members 3, all as shown in Figures 3 and 5.

Each of the driver members has a chain-receiving channel 7 formed therethrough, and also has a chainengaging lug 8 which extends into the channel 7. Oppositely-disposed channels 9 are formed through the 'members 1 for the reception of a guide member. Bracket clearance channel it) is also formed through each of the members 1, as shown in Figures 4 and 5.

It will be noted, by referring to Figures 7 and 9, that a continuous chain 11 is adapted to lie in chain-receiving channel 7 and with lugs 8 engaging alternate links of the chain.

Chain 11 is supported in engaging relation with lugs 8 by means of guide member 12 which is supported by means of suitable brackets 13 and in aligned relation by means of bolts 14 and spacer members 15. Brackets 13 are secured to the stair framework 16 by means of bolts 17, or by other suitable means.

A sprocket 18 is located at each end of the run of chain 11, one of which sprockets is driven by suitable means in the conventional manner. Teeth 19 of the sprockets are adapted to engage chain 11 in alternate links, with the sprocket teeth engaging the links not occupied by chain-engaging lugs 8 of driver members 1.

Each of guides 12 end in close prox'mlity with relation to the rims of the sprockets 18, as indicated in Figure 10.

One of the guides 12, preferably the lower, is composed of two separate members having their ends separated and providing a space therebetween as at 20 in Figure 10, and forming an open space between the ends of the guides where the drivers 1, the riders 2, and the separators 3 may be fed onto the guides, or removed therefrom, as shown in Figure 12.

The gap occurring between the ends of the guides 12 at 29 is to be bridged after the drivers and riders, together with the separators have been fed onto the guides and with the circuit of the members being completed. The members used in bridging the gap 29 are shown more clearly in Figures 11 and 14 in which the bridge is composed of a pair of oppositely-disposed L-shaped members 21 having a spacer 22 therebetween and located substantially midway between the ends thereof and removably secured therein by means of bolts 23. A splice bar 24 is located at each end of spacer 22 and positioned between L-shaped members 21 and are removably secured therein by means of bolts 25. The outer ends of splice bars are secured to the respective ends of giides 12 by means of bolts 26 extending therethrough, as shown in Figure 11. The horizontal legs of L-shaped members 21 match the adjacent ends of guides 12 and form a bridge across gap 20. A bolt 27 has the lower end thereof secured into spacer 22 and with the upper end thereof being extended through bracket 28. A nut 29 is threaded onto bolt 27 above the bracket. Bracket 28 is secured into the stair framework by means of bolts 30.

In the assembly of the'hand rail, separator members 3 are fitted into rider members 2, as indicated in Figures 3 and 5. The assembled members 2 and 3 are then fitted in endwise relation onto a flange of a driver memher 1. This operation may be continued and fitting the members into units of possibly five or six of the members and forming short sections of the assembled members.

The short assembled sections are then fed onto one end of the guides forming gap 20, and with each of the lugs S engaging a respective link of chain 11. The chain is then moved a short distance on the guide, the amount of movement of the chain being approximately the same as the length of the short assemblies of members 1, 2 and 3, but with the last of the assembled section of members '1 or 2 being substantially flush with the end of guide 12, after which other short assembled sections of members 1, 2 and 3 are fed onto the guide, and with the lugs 3 engaging the respective links of chain 11.

When the guides have been filled with the members 1, 2 and 3 except at the space formed by gap 26, a section of assembled members 1, 2 and. 3 of proper length is fitted into the space with the end members of the section being fitted with the end-members on the guides, as shown in Figure 13, after which the bowed portion of the section is pressed upwardly into alignment .with the members previously positioned on the guides.

In orderrto bridge the gap 29 in a continuous fashion, I have provided the L-shaped members 21, one of which is inserted into place between ends of guides 12, and with the horizontal portion thereof being positioned in the respective channels 9 of driver members 1. After the first of the members 21 is in place, the second is positioned in like manner With the horizontal leg thereof engaging its respective channels 9 of drivers 1 and with its ends fitting neatly between the ends of guides 12. After the two L-shaped members 21 are in their respective positions, spacer member 22, together with bolt 27, is inserted between the vertical legs of the member 21 and with bolts 23 securing the members 21 together through spacer member 22, as shown in Figures 11 and 14. Splice members 24 are then placed on respective bolts 26 which were inserted through the end portions of guides 12 before the hand rail members were fed onto the guides. Bolts 25 are then inserted through the splice members 24 and through the vertical legs of L-shaped members 21, as shown in Figures 11 and 14. After completion of the splice joint, as above described, bracket 28 is positioned on the bolt and then secured to the stair framework 16 by means of bolts 3%. Nut 29. is then threaded onto the upper end of bolt 27. Nut 29 provides means for flexing the end portions of guides 12 out of direct alignment to provide slight adjustment and tightening of the hand rail members in their circuits about the sprockets 18. a a

' Operation of the assembled hand rail is accomplished by means of one of the sprockets 18 being driven in the conventional manner of escalator hand rails with the other sprocket being'used as an idler over which chain 11 passes. The teeth of the sprockets are adapted to engage links of the chain 11 which are not occupied by lugs 8 of driver members 1.

It will be noted that, due to alternate members of the hand rail assembly engaging driving chain lLthere is no tendency for the hand rail members to become unduly separated or to'operate by jerks. Each of the rider members 2 is carried between two of the driver members 1 and with the separator members 3 providing a cushion effect between the members 1 and 2, and with the channelled edges 5 of the separators'providing expansible and contractural joints between the members 1 and 2.

It is to be understood that members 1 and 2 are readily adaptable to be formed of either metals or plastics or any other suitable materials or combinations of materials.

-It is to be further understood that I am not to be limited to the design of the parts or to the arrangement of the same as herein shown and described, but that minor changes and slight variations may be made therein, insofar as the changes or the modifications may fall within the scope of the appended claim.

Having now shown and described thetinvention, what I claim, is: a 7

' In a hand rail construction, driver members and rider members alternately arranged with a space being formed therebetween, a separator member interposed in the space formed between each of the driver members and, the adjacent rider members, with a channel being formed along each longitudinal edge of the separator member, and With the channelled edges of the separator member forming resilient means filling the spaces between the edges of the driver members and the adjacent ridermernbers. 7

References Cited in the tile of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS Hapman Aug. 19, 1952 

